Ovechkin, Laine, Malkin among Richard Trophy favorites

The Coaches Room is a weekly column by one of four former NHL coaches and assistants who will turn their critical gaze to the game and explain it through the lens of a teacher. Jim Corsi, David Marcoux, Paul MacLean and Joe Mullen will take turns providing insight.
In this edition, Mullen, a former assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers and 2000 player inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame who scored 502 NHL goals, handicaps the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy.

The race for the Rocket Richard Trophy, which is awarded to the League's top goal scorer, is heating up with a little more than three weeks remaining in the regular season. Here's a look at the top contenders:

Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals

42 goals, 13 games remaining
You always expect Ovechkin to be near the top of the goal-scoring race. He's been there since he broke into the League in 2005-06, and he's probably one of the purest goal scorers of all time.
The 32-year-old scores in all different kinds of ways: Spinning, turning, on his back, from his knees.
Whether it's shooting from his spot in left circle on the power play or on the rush beating one or two defensemen, or making good passes with his linemates and going to the net, he finds a way. That's what goal scorers do.
Some wonder why it's so difficult to stop Ovechkin from getting his shot off from the left circle on the power play. The reason you can't stop him is because he's also a good passer.
If he doesn't feel like he's going to get the shot through to the net, he's going to look for a teammate off to the side of the net, which they usually have, or give it to defenseman John Carlson at the point or to forward Nicklas Backstrom on the other side.
The Capitals move it quick and they try to get it to Ovechkin for a one-timer. If he thinks he can get it to the net, which he does quite often, he usually finds a hole.

Patrik Laine, RW, Winnipeg Jets

41 goals, 12 games remaining
Right from when Laine came into the League last season, he had that shot, and it's been going in a lot for him lately. He has 16 goals and seven assists during his Jets record 13-game point streak.
A lot like Ovechkin, Laine lines up on the left side on the power play and gets the puck to the net and finds those spots. But I think the difference probably is more on the rush. Not that Laine is bad on the rush by any means, but I think Ovechkin is more dynamic, maybe quicker and maybe even stronger.
At 6-foot-5 and 206 pounds, Laine is strong, but Ovechkin just powers through people. As Laine gets older he's going to get stronger. He's 19 and still growing into his body.

Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

39 goals, 12 games remaining
If Malkin isn't scoring goals he's setting them up. He sees the ice so well and he's so smart and strong. Like Ovechkin and Laine, he's got great size (6-3, 195). He's got great vision, great skills all the way around, passing and shooting.
Malkin, 31, can be dynamic at times, too. He scored 47 goals in 2007-08 and 50 in 2011-12, but never has won the Rocket Richard Trophy.
He is a natural center, and most centers like to pass the puck. But Malkin has a great shot from the point. He can score from there on the power play and down low because he's so strong and can barrel to the net and get that shot off.

Eric Staal, C, Minnesota Wild

37 goals, 12 games remaining
Staal, 33, had 45 goals in 2005-06, his second NHL season, when the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, and he had 40 in 2008-09. Then his production dropped off.
I don't know if he just got comfortable after he won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes, but for some reason in Minnesota he looks revived.
Two seasons ago he had 13 goals in 83 games with the Hurricanes and New York Rangers. This season he has 37. It looks like he's enjoying the game and has a smile on his face all the time.
At 6-4, 209 pounds, he's a big guy with great reach and a lot of skill. When he's moving his feet and doing the things he's capable of doing, he's a dangerous player.

Tyler Seguin, C, Dallas Stars

36 goals, 12 games remaining
Seguin, 26, is very talented. He can shoot, he can carry the puck. He can be dynamic.
He also has great linemates in Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov, as most good goal scorers do. You're not going to put your best goal scorer with third-line players.
Seguin has been very good since he was traded to Dallas by the Boston Bruins in 2013. He's scored at least 30 goals in four of his five seasons with the Stars and is one away from matching his NHL-high of 37 goals in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Even during his first three NHL seasons with the Bruins, Seguin was pretty good. Now he's more mature.
With the Stars playing a better defensive structure under coach Ken Hitchcock this season, I think that has helped him too. I'm a firm believer that if you play better defensively you're going to have the puck more offensively and get more chances.

William Karlsson, C, Vegas Golden Knights

36 goals, 13 games remaining
Karlsson, 25, had 18 goals in his first three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets, but has broken out in a major way this season with the Golden Knights. He played on the checking line and killed penalties with the Blue Jackets, and had six goals in 81 games last season. He's rounded out his game under coach Gerard Gallant with the Golden Knights.
He's getting more of an opportunity with Vegas, averaging 18:35 of ice time per game, including 2:22 per game on the power play. With the Blue Jackets last season he averaged 13:23 in ice time and got little time on the power play (16:31 for the season).
Last season Karlsson had 96 shots on goal and a shooting percentage of 6.3. This season, he has 154 shots on goal in 69 games, and his shooting percentage of 23.4 is the best in the League among players with at least 30 games.
Karlsson might not be able to maintain that shootout percentage for the remainder of the season, but maybe he's working harder for his opportunities. Maybe he's finding that space now and maturing like all young players.

The pick

You never can count out Ovechkin. He's led the League in goals six previous times, and he's the most dynamic and purest goal scorer of the bunch.